It's the biggest achievement yet in local roller derby: The Jacksonville RollerGirls all-star team, the New Jax City Rollers, qualified for the 2013 Women's Flat Track Derby Association Division One Playoffs in Richmond, Va., Sept. 13-15 as the No. 30 seed. Teams from around the world will compete. And the New Jax team will be there, thanks to its hard work and dedication. And those fans who can't make the trip to Richmond can still view the action on WFTDA.tv.

Keri "Fancy Schmancy" Lewis, fresh off a tournament in Tampa, fielded some questions by email.

The first question that bears reflection: Is roller derby "feminist"? Her answer might surprise you.

"I don't think roller derby is a feminist enterprise. It takes a village to run a roller derby league. Flat-track roller derby was founded in Austin, Texas, in 2003. It was started as a female-only sport, but there were men that played an integral part of the league function, ranging from coaches, staff, referees, bout announcers, photographers, videographers, volunteers to fans. Derby leagues become a big family."

Supporting her contention that roller derby is of equal importance to both genders, Lewis mentioned that the local men's team — the Magic City Misfits — is the fourth-ranked team in the United States.

Even with all that love, it's difficult for athletes, who must hold down day jobs, to find time to practice and compete.

"It is a challenge getting a practice and bouting venue that accommodates our league's needs," Lewis said. "Can we get enough practice time at reasonable hours for the skaters? Finding bout venues that are affordable and give us the opportunity to put on a good bout for paying patrons [is a challenge]. We also struggle making it affordable for skaters to compete on our traveling team, especially the all-star team. New Jax travels at least five times a year to out-of-state bouts, and getting the money and time off work to compete can be taxing on … More

In my years of writing this column, I've found that I write many more arrest/trouble-with-the-law stories than I'd anticipated when I was handed the keys to the Sportstalk franchise in 2005.

Athletes across the spectrum seem to have issues with law enforcement. I feel like I've written a few articles about various arrests and legal situations faced by pro wrestling legend Ric Flair.

But the bulk of my "athlete gets arrested, and in other news, the sun will rise tomorrow" stories have to do with college athletes — specifically athletes from the University of Florida. As good as their football team has been on the field, and their basketball team has been on the court, the school's student-athletes can't seem to go very long without being clotheslined by the long arms of the law.

Sometimes, we see basketball players running afoul of statute — consider Joakim Noah's bust a few years back for a double dribble: open container law violation with a side violation of marijuana possession. Usually, though — and perhaps not surprising, given how many people are on the roster in any given year — the offenders are football stars.

Quite often, those offenses involve guns. I remember writing about former Gators and Jaguars player Dee Webb and the unfortunate incident that happened when he and a couple of other players were present when an assault rifle discharged and fired into a neighboring apartment. Charges were dropped, that time, for what a Gainesville police rep called "an accidental shooting with incredibly poor lapses in judgment." I bet Marissa Alexander wishes she'd received that benefit of the doubt.

And then, there's the Aaron Hernandez story, which seems to involve a purposeful shooting, albeit one with more "incredibly poor lapses in judgment." Though it is said that he has been a model prisoner since he was locked up a few weeks back.

Not all lapses in judgment involve firearms and inconvenient corpses, of course. … More

A few years ago, when Wayne Weaver owned the Jaguars and the only thing that changed from year to year were the names of the players on the police blotter, there wasn't much to say about the Jaguars ownership from the business side.

Recall all of the media hype about blackouts, moving to Los Angeles and other topics that seem more dated with each passing week. Now the Jaguars have an owner with the gumption to put his investment in the center of the global stage. And really, it's about time someone figured it out.

Given the league investment in its franchises in the Northeast Corridor, one cannot give Shad Khan enough credit for realizing that the best way to trump that bias is to establish his small-market Southern franchise as a global entity. To that end, with the purchase of Fulham soccer team in the English Premier League, he's established himself as a sovereign figure in sports, one with the capital, moxie and vision to be among the most important sports team owners of his generation.

Check out Khan's words. They should sound familiar to Jags fans — in tone and spirit, they're reminiscent of what he said when he bought the Jaguars. It's just been a couple of years, but the cleansing power of Khan's frankness and clarity make the former regime seem like a dim memory.

"Fulham is the perfect club at the perfect time for me," Khan said in a statement. "My priority is to ensure the club and Craven Cottage each has a viable and sustainable Premier League future that fans of present and future generations can be proud of. We will manage the club's financial and operational affairs with prudence and care, with youth development and community programs as fundamentally important elements of Fulham's future."

London readers of Folio Weekly — and I assume there are some — can take those words to the bank. They're more solid than the pound sterling. And what's clear, especially in retrospect, is that Khan saw and sees American football as … More

For those interested in seeing the future of professional baseball, there likely will be no better showcase this year than the Southern League All-Star Game — and certainly not one you can see live in Jacksonville.

Suns manager Andy Barkett’s team is not having an amazing year, though it certainly is better than the debacle faced by the Jacksonville Suns’ parent club, the Miami Marlins. Nevertheless, Barkett helms the South Division All-Stars this year, and six Suns were chosen for the squad, including four pitchers — starters Adam Conley, Sam Dyson and Jay Jackson, and reliever Michael Brady. Dyson is sidelined with a back sprain and on the disabled list.

Jake Marisnick joins the squad from the Suns’ outfield. Kyle Jensen, had he not been promoted to New Orleans already, likewise would've been an All-Star. Jensen has Major League ability already, and it’s only a matter of time before he's showing it in the National League.

Suns fans know what to expect from these players. They know, for example, of Marisnick’s power — something fans in Miami might well be seeing in a couple of months after September call-ups, and something that might be seen in the bottom of the first inning at Bragan Field, as Marisnick will be leading off for his squad. They know how left-handed pitcher Conley can strike out virtually anyone at any time, and the efficiency of Dyson, who might not be related at all to the vacuum cleaner company, but who keeps the base paths clear of runners more often than not. They know that batters hit a bit more than .200 against Jackson, and they know that Brady closes games virtually every time out.

Beyond the local heroes, there are some must-see players on the South squad. For starters, a trio of .300 hitters — Montgomery Biscuit Kevin Kiermaier, Justin Greene from Mobile and Mississippi’s Jose Martinez. On a circuit where pitchers generally prevail, a .300 average is … More

Most sports fans in Northeast Florida first became acquainted with Aaron Hernandez when he was a tight end on that incredible University of Florida offense a few years ago. Hernandez, Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow made Gators games must-see TV.

Yes, he tested positive for marijuana, but folks who know the history of "Gainesville Green" know the temptation and the ubiquity of the so-called sticky-icky in the 352. Yes, there were mutterings about so-called character concerns before he was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round. But these were minor cavils. Hernandez looked like a steal of a draft pick at the time. Fast-forward a couple of years, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick looked even more prescient. Fast-forward to today, and the revisionist history of the "long view" takes hold.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King battled with some Twitter followers about the wisdom of the Hernandez draft pick recently, in the wake of Hernandez being scrubbed from the Patriots roster and NFL history. Could he still be called a good pick? Yes, King argued, given his statistical contribution to the team before the guy was arrested on murder charges.

And — in my opinion, at least — King's right. As interested observers of the Jaguars' process, we've seen almost two decades of drafts here, and two years of starter-level "elite" production is more than can be hoped for from your standard fourth-round pick. No one could have rationally foreseen the accusations of murder and evidence destruction in which Hernandez became ensnared. In part, it's because what the NFL calls "character concerns" so often have nothing to do with anything beyond a bad result on a urinalysis for cannabis (the only reliable substance testing, given how long it stays in the system).

Rather than look at real-deal character issues, the league and its media adjuncts (ESPN and other broadcast partners) reduce the whole matter to how clean a player's urine is. For further … More

The NBA season ended with a thrilling seven-game series between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs. At any given time, a half-dozen future Hall of Fame players were on the floor. Up until the last game, it was impossible to figure out which team would win the series. The Heat were pronounced dead and LeBron called a fraud seemingly every day until the end; the Spurs, the underdogs, avoided such castigation.

Will the Heat be an official dynasty, like the Lakers and Celtics of bygone eras? Who really knows? Much changes in the NBA on a yearly basis. It's easy to imagine a key injury or two driving the Heat back to the pack. It's equally easy to imagine other franchises rising to take the Miami club's place.

Some franchises are closer to that goal than others. Two that don't seem especially close to championship glory — at least at this time — will meet in an October preseason tilt in Jacksonville: the Orlando Magic and the New Orleans Pelicans. This will be the Magic's third preseason trip to Northeast Florida and the first since 2008, just eight days after the team opens training camp in Orlando. In discussing the initiative, Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown was his usual restrained self.

"When the 2013 NBA preseason begins, Jacksonville will be getting a piece of the action," Brown said in a news conference. "We're very excited to be working with the NBA again … one of the strongest and most recognized brands in the world."

Brown said the game allows Jacksonville to show the world that it's a great destination for sports and entertainment.

"We want this to be a spotlight that helps fans everywhere get an interest in Jacksonville and in Jacksonville's story, because we have a great story to tell," he said, referring to a revitalized Downtown, parks, beaches and a "re-energized job market."

After his remarks, Magic representative and former star Nick Anderson and Jacksonville University hoops legend Artis Gilmore added a few … More

Ric Flair and Roddy Piper — two of the biggest names from 1980s wrestling — participated in "Celebrity Wife Swap" June 30 on ABC. I haven't watched the show before, but I gotta tell you, it was horrifying must-see TV.

You wouldn't know, for starters, that Flair's son Reid had died recently from a heroin overdose — because it wasn't mentioned. In the show, Flair was raising his girlfriend's kids with her. Those old school wrestling fans might remember his current girlfriend playing the Fifi the French Maid character in WCW a couple of years back.

Flair's life these days is basically the pro wrestling version of Jake LaMotta. He can't really work in WWE anymore, as his myriad health conditions preclude him taking an active role with the touring troupe, yet he spends like he's living in 1983 and making big bucks as the world champ. Spa visits, bar visits, fancy restaurants every night — it's like he believes his own promos from his prime and he can be all about "that life" in his dotage.

The most powerful parts of the episode involved figures from Flair's past. His first wife, Beth, spoke with Piper's wife during a segment, which basically spotlighted that Flair's extended midlife crisis started after the dissolution of his marriage to her. Piper, likewise, tried to tell Flair to slow down late in the show, but the Nature Boy wasn't hearing it.

It amazes me, on some level, that Flair is still alive, much less still able to afford the lifestyle he maintains currently, even as he is not employable in any significant way in the "sport" he once defined. I never thought I would be transfixed by "Celebrity Wife Swap." But it's hard to turn away from the trainwreck that has been the life of Flair in recent years. More

Earlier this month, Jaguars owner Shad Khan voiced an interest in the Shipyards property. Not a moment too soon. For virtually the entire century thus far, there have been plans for the Shipyards — plans that have not come to fruition.

"I've said all along, Jacksonville has great potential. Developing the north bank of the riverfront would go a long way toward achieving our potential," Khan said in a statement. "A new life for the Shipyards would be good news for the Jaguars, EverBank Field, the Sports Complex and all of Downtown Jacksonville."

Indeed it would. As Jacksonville grows, it still faces the challenge of igniting Downtown, making it more than just a place to work, visit a club, go to a Monster Truck rally or see a concert at The Florida Theatre. To become the city that city planners, major stakeholders, many residents and visitors envision, we have to maximize the potential of underused parcels of land and resources. Certainly, Khan — comfortably ensconced on the Forbes 400 — has the resources and wherewithal to do that. And he has the motivation.

Consider the constant grousing in recent years about the Jaguars gameday experience. There are some who complain about the traffic to and from the game (and many of those folks have never tried to see the New England Patriots at Foxboro Stadium or the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field, two spots where the commute can be prohibitive for a variety of reasons). I remember a sports blogger who said Shad Khan should build a stadium on the Southside because it would be better situated for Jags fans making the trek from Nocatee and other outposts. Such complaints lack merit and seem provincial. However, there are other, more legitimate issues with the Jaguars gameday experience.

Consider what there is — or isn't — Downtown. After a Sunday game, traffic patterns and local habits dictate that people are going to get the heck out of Downtown back to their suburban sanctuaries … More

When checking Facebook chat, I was surprised to see a green light by the name of the greatest wide receiver of his era. I was more surprised that he responded when I asked "how are you being treated in prison?" with a simple "I'm out."

Since it was reported that Jimmy Smith would be in jail until 2018, I wondered how he got released. A one word answer followed: "God." Instead of being locked up, he added, he's under "house arrest like Charley Sheen [sic]."

Smith didn't chat for much longer. When asked about Aaron Hernandez, the former Gator tight end who is involved in a murder investigation in Masschusetts, Smith said, "it's crazy."

Hopes are that a longer conversation will follow at some point, but if this is true, and Smith is out of jail, it is great news. This column argued that six years in prison would constitute a death sentence for Smith some weeks back.

"Smith likely will emerge from prison more broken than he went in — and likely will have no trouble scoring dope inside. But prison, when it comes to drug cases, is less about rehabilitation and more about fueling the creaky, amoral machinery of the drug war. Six years might as well be a death sentence. The greatest Jaguars player of all time, arguably. Clearly, that greatness comes with a price to be paid for a long time."

Hopefully, justice showed Smith some mercy. About time someone did. More

The first rule of "Fight Club" was that you don't talk about it. However, boxing fans from around the region are talking about pro boxing coming back to the area in a major way for the first time this century, courtesy of ESPN's "Friday Night Fights."

As of press time, the undercard is still taking shape. The main event is an intriguing battle between two middleweights — Los Angeles' Sergio Mora (@TheeLatinSnake) and Grzegorz Proksa of Poland. Both of these fighters are working their way back into contention after the kinds of losses that move fighters away from the big paydays, so there is a career-defining sense of urgency in this battle.

The 28-year-old Proksa is on the comeback trail after WBA and IBO title-holder Gennady Golovkin wrecked him in New York last September. Since then, he has had one fight — a six-round exhibition against a tomato can with 20 losses — so it is that his fight in Jacksonville could well be make-or-break for his career.

"The fight with Mora is set, the contract is ready, and I can't wait until June 28," Proksa told World Boxing News earlier this month. "This is a great opportunity for me as I have always wanted this kind of fight.

"Sergio Mora is a greatly skilled boxer and to fight with him is a big honor for me. He was on level what I want to be, so I need to win to get closer to my goal after I lost against Golovkin."

That loss was huge, exposing Proksa for the first time in his career. He couldn't really connect against Golovkin and ended up succumbing to a TKO. The left-hander had no answers, as Golovkin pummeled him throughout the fight. To hear the Pole tell it, though, there were extenuating circumstances.

"I want this second fight with Golovkin as I took the fight with just five weeks to go without a proper camp," he told World Boxing News. "I just wanted to fight for a world title, but I lost, and it has learnt me a lot. The Mora fight is now a chance to get back and I am going to prove … More